Antique musical instruments are one type of antique that never goes out of style. Many antique instruments are kept in working condition so they are as useful to musicians as they are valuable. Depending on the type of antique instrument collector, you can find great deals on brass instruments, guitars, clarinets and violins that are still in very good condition.

But the pricing and costs of antique musical instruments does not only depend on the condition of the instrument. It also depends on other factors, some of which include:

1. The exact age of the vintage musical instruments.

2. The type of instrument, where it was made, and by whom.

3. The demand for certain antique instruments.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Purchase antique music instruments from a knowledgeable source

The best way to find the right antique musical instrument is to find a dealer of antique instruments that can provide you with comprehensive information. A dealer should be able to provide you with the composition of the materials, the age of the instrument, and why one type is rare or not. Antique instruments can range from $50 to $5,000 or more.

I recommend: Maestronet has a searchable price guide for antique instruments. And if you want another opinion on the age and condition of an antique instruments, check out WhatsItWorthToYou.com, an online appraisal service.

Buy antique string musical instruments such as violins, cellos and bass

Antique violins get a lot of attention. Many of the world's top violin players choose to play antique instruments that were handcrafted in Europe because many of them provide better sound. Antique violins and other string instruments are easily $5,000 to $10,000 or more, but well worth the price for an advanced player.

I recommend: Brobst Violin Shop offers vintage and antique violin musical instruments for the advanced player. Bernstein Violins puts out a guide that can help you choose between old and new, country origin, and give you a realistic idea of what you will pay for vintage and antique string instruments.

Look for rare antique piano musical instruments

Antique pianos and other instruments in the piano family are very popular items. There have been many different types of pianos crafted, and some were never manufactured after the original prototypes were made. Antique pianos range from $10,000 and up, but are a solid investment if you purchase one in good condition.

I recommend: Kenneth B. Brewer Antique Pianos is an antique instrument seller the sells grands, reed organs and uprights. If you are not sure what type of piano you are looking for, check out the Piano Emporium's Antique Piano Guide that lists the models' brand, year and other useful information.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Ask antique sellers if you can get a third party appraisal before purchasing an instrument, so you know you're paying fair antique instrument prices.

It's the unique business that mixes a passion for music with an interest in antiquities and vintage items, but antique musical instruments are still useful in some kinds of enterprises. There are also some shops that sell these items online within the greater antique marketplace.

There are benefits and drawbacks to buying antique musical instruments for sale online. Business managers might look for antique instruments for businesses like these:

1. A "mom and pop" antique shop where items are bought from other shops and offered for sale locally.

2. A procurement agency that caters to the whims of very rich clients, acquiring items like antique musical instruments for homes or properties.

3. For a business involved in outfitting a museum or educational space.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find antique piano musical instruments

As a traditional centerpiece of many homes and public spaces, the piano is something lots of antique instrument collectors look for, inspecting potential purchases for tuning, broken keys or other signs of wear. Online vendors will get you antique pianos for your business use and help arrange shipping to your location.

I recommend: Find numerous models at the Vintage Piano Shop, a division of the Dyersburg Piano Company, where images and details are available on a stylish, easy to use website. Connect with individual piano owners at the OLDPIANOS.com to get "private deals" on vintage models.

Get antique violin musical instruments

Among the family of antique string musical instruments, the violin or fiddle is one of the most sought after items for antique buyers. From the hills of Ireland to the steppes of Russia, musicians through the ages used the violin to produce an amazing variety of folk music, and some of those same instruments are still in circulation.

I recommend: Web surfers can see a collection of vintage violins at the Antique Violins page, a division of eBay where many of the deals of that giant retailer are presented for easy price comparisons. Find a diversity of authentic antique violins at Ye Olde Violin Shoppe online.

Look for other antique music instruments

Besides pianos and violins, buyers might be keeping their eyes out for other traditional instruments from eclectic antique instrument seller shops offering accordions or concertinas, guitars and other strings, woodwinds, bagpipes or other special offers.

I recommend: At the One of a Kind Antique instrument page at Zekley Musical Instruments, browsers can find vintage models of woodwinds, strings and more in neat categories. If you're looking for concertinas or accordions, or any other kind of vintage instrument for that matter, COLLECTIBLE Detective.com will line up lists of links for getting those items into your hands.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Always protect yourself as a buyer as much as possible. Try to make a detailed agreement about the condition of an item as well as other considerations like antique instrument prices before the transaction is made to avoid potential problems.

Vintage musical instruments is a very unique field. Because of the rarity of expertise, there is a lot of potential money to be made in this industry. Aside from a love of music, history, working with your hands and fixing things, finding antique musical instruments education and training is a sure-fire way to pave the path for success.

Developing the unique skills to work with antique musical equipment will provide the opportunity to find business in the following ways:

1. Become successful in antique dealing when you gain knowledge of antique musical instruments.

2. Expand an existing musical instrument business to include instrument repair.

3. Use the knowledge gained with antique musical instruments education and training to branch into restoration services.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Use online sources for learning about antique instruments

There are various free online resources for historical musical instruments. Learn the history of specific instruments, the construction of them and the uses of them.

I recommend: The University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance boasts The Stearns Collection, which is the largest American collection of antique instruments. They have a listing of upcoming events, as well as an online exhibit of historical instruments. The Smithsonian National Museum of American History has an online historical music collection that includes descriptions and photographs. You can visit the actual collection at the museum, which has over 5,000 instruments and their historical significance to American and European heritages.

Search for specialized education in the performance of antique music instruments

Learning to play antique instruments requires proper training. To play historical musical instruments properly, you need to acquire knowledge of the instrument and the time period in which it was predominately used. Universities and colleges with programs that focus on historical instruments will give the best, well-rounded education.

I recommend: Indiana University School of Music has an Early Music Institute that offers historical music education in the areas of performance and academics. Oberlin College has a Master of Music in Historical Performance program, which students with an undergraduate degree can apply and audition for.

Join associations for antique instruments

Becoming a member of historical music instrument associations will provide you with information resources, industry news, and access to supplies, parts and tools needed for repair and restoration, contact information of antique instrument sellers, listings of antique musical instruments for sale and guides for determining antique instrument prices.

I recommend: Some associations for historical instruments include the American Musical Instrument Society and the Fellowship of Makers and Researchers of Historical Instruments, which both study the history and construction of instruments such as antique piano musical instruments. The Guild of American Luthiers specializes in all stringed instruments and will help with understanding antique violin musical instruments.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Learn every aspect of musical instruments to become the best in antique music instruments restoration or repair, from playing them to technological advances in modern ones.
• •  Include music history in antique musical instruments education and training; this will give you a better understanding of the history of instruments and thus become a better antique instrument collector.